6 / matters magazine / summer 2026
contents
Vol. 37 Issue 4    Summer 2026
Some of the members of the Ma­
plewood Youth Gardening Program 
show off the day's harvest. Pictured 
from L to R: Sakeena Azma, Ameer 
Azma, Olapeju Adeniji, Eden Prag­
er, Ella Prager, Camille Dazulma 
and Monika Hannemann. Read the 
story on page 12. Photo by Julia 
Maloof Verderosa.
The Magazine of Maplewood and South Orange
Matters
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in every issue
	
Heart of the Matter	 8
springing into summer gardens
	
New Businesses	 10
say hello
	
Events that Matter	 10
around the towns 
	
Language Matters	 20
whom said that? 
	
Food Matters	 28
strawberry girls: short and sweet
	
Book Report	 32
book recommendations to explore
	
Resource Guide	 33
local sources
	
Final Matters	 34
why i'm never deleting facebook
in this issue
12	 Where Curiosity Grows
inside the maplewood youth gardening program
16	 Changing the Lives of Children in 	
	
Foster Care
local volunteers advocate for youth in crisis
21	 My Hometown
realtors tell us how their hometown shaped them
26	 A Lending Library for Tools
soma tool share promotes a sharing economy 
mindset
30	 The Maplewood Bike Shed Comes 	
	
Full Circle
new owners honor the vision of danny ives
12
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16
30

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